Dating: Trials and Tribulations
by LadyxMadonna
Summary: Post season finale oneshot. Very MacStella, some DannyAiden mentioned. Borderlining on smutty so don't read if it offends you.


**Disclaimer: **I own a cat, lots of shoes and some other random things but nothing in this story belongs to me. All hail the great Jerry Bruckheimer (I think I spelled that wrong) he owns nearly everything and probably has enough money to buy what he doesn't already own.

**A/N: **One shot Stella/Mac piece set after the season finale (season one) will probably...well, definitely...be AU (alternate universe for the fanfic illiterate like myself) after the first episode from next season. Mentions Danny/Aiden at the very end...not much but it's there. I'm a hopeless romantic and this story will definitely reflect that...enjoy! Words in quotes and italics are characters thoughts...

* * *

Stella sat at a table at a swanky restaurant, her fingers running absently up and down the stem of her wine glass. Her date, _"Mark? Mike_? _Matt? Yes that was it, Matt" _she thought to herself. She remembered meeting him in Starbucks a few days before, she'd thought his name was fitting since he seemed inclined to let everyone walk all over him. Stella smirked, conjuring up an image of a doormat with her date's face at the centre. He continued to ramble on about the stock market or some other business crap that she just couldn't care less about so her mind wandered. She thought back to Mac's office only an hour ago, _"God, has it only been an hour!" _She checked her watch again, just to be sure, _"Damn." _Stella sighed and allowed her thoughts to drift back to Mac. She still couldn't believe he'd let her take his tie off. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him without the damn thing around his neck, _"Oh...wait...two weeks before Claire died, end of summer barbeque at their house, Mac had just gotten out of the pool. That was the last time...three years...damn." _He hadn't looked vulnerable then, he'd looked sexy, rivulets of water trailing down his body, but standing in his office he'd been a shadow of his former self.

"Stella?" Matt's abrasive voice rudely intruded on Stella's thoughts, "So what do you think?" Stella smiled sweetly and nodded, hoping beyond hope that it the nod would satisfy him. _"Why won't he just go away? Can't he see I'm trying to think?...Oh that's right, this is supposed to be a date...What's that old saying? Something about watching dust dry or something_ _like that_..." Matt had accepted Stella's nod and continued with his story, "And so I say to the guy, 'What colour are pansies? 'Cause that's the colour I should paint you,' when the dust settled..." _"Aha! That's it, as dull as watching paint dry or dust settle. You know either of those activities would be preferable to this date." _Stella yawned and checked her watch, _"Five minutes? It feels like it's been five fucking hours!_ She watched as her date signalled for the cheque, silently sending up a prayer of thanks to whomever had listened to her desperate pleas. As they exited the restaurant Stella hailed herself a cab, not knowing what Matt had planned for later in the evening but she was damn sure she didn't want to be a part of it.

"Thanks for dinner," she said as she slid into the cab, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Uh...yeah...I'll uh call you," he was confused, not that he'd ever admit it. Stella just smiled and rattled off her address for the driver. Her driver was mercifully quiet on the ride to her place and after she paid him she trudged through her front door before collapsing on the couch. After a moment of relaxing with her eyes shut she blindly reached for her cell to check for messages. One from Flack about signing off on a case, that could wait til morning; and one from Aiden, telling her to have fun on her date. Stella rolled her eyes, jumping slightly when her phone began to vibrate in her hand. She checked the caller id, _"Mac?" _She was confused but shrugged and answered the phone, "Bonasera."

"What're you doing answering your phone...aren't you on a date?" Stella rolled her eyes again, _"Typical Mac," _she thought.

"I was on a date...key word there being **was. **It was a flop so I came home early. Aren't you supposed to be on a date thing too?"

"Yeah it was kind of a disappointment," he replied. _"She wasn't Claire...or you."_

"Lemme guess, she wasn't Claire. Am I right Mac?"

"Stel do we have to talk about this on the phone? I called to see if you wanted to go grab some drinks or something."

"Sure," this wasn't the Mac she knew but Stella decided to go with it.

"Okay then will you open the door now because your neighbours are starting to give me strange looks."

"Mac how long have you been standing out there?" Stella pulled herself up from the couch and headed for the door.

"I believe it was somewhere around the part of the conversation in which I told you my date sucked, now would you please let me in?"

"Oh for chrissakes Mac keep your pants on," Stella mumbled as she fumbled with the chain on her door, grinning when she realized how suggestive the comment could be. She snapped her cell phone shut and tossed it onto the couch so she could concentrate on the door. She managed to unlock the door before throwing it open to reveal Mac Taylor, leaning casually against her doorframe, looking adorable and sexy. _"Stella, he's not only your best friend and boss he's also still mourning the loss of his wife. Pull yourself together girl," _Stella chastised herself.

"Happy?" he asked.

"Huh?" confusion clouded Stella's face. _"Wasn't he the one who had been begging to be let in?"_

"I kept my pants on," Mac maintained a straight face but Stella could see the glimmer of amusement in his eyes. A soft pink blush spread into her cheeks and she shook her head, backing up to allow him in. He chuckled as he walked past her, brushing her arm ever so lightly with his and causing her to intake a breath sharply at the unexpected touch. Mac noted her reaction but said nothing about it, deciding to go straight to his reason for being there, "Well Stel it would be an awful shame for such a gorgeous dress to go to waste so what do you say we go out and have a few drinks, and ya know, catch up."

"You know Mac, I'm not really in the mood," his face fell, "Why don't we just stay in? I've got a nicely iced down bottle of wine in the fridge." Mac immediately perked up and ushered Stella to the couch before heading to her kitchen to gather glasses and their drinks.

"Hey Stel? Where's your corkscrew?" Mac hollered from the kitchen.

"Ummm...Top left-hand drawer under the sink...I think," she replied and listened to him rummage around in her drawers. He returned moments later with an uncorked bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. He sank down beside Stella on the couch, his leg barely brushing hers as he did so, eliciting another sharp intake of breath from her. He smiled to himself as he poured generous glasses of wine for each of them, handing one to Stella before settling back with his. They sipped their wine in silence, Stella's mind racing.

"_Okay am I imagining this or is he being a little more personable than usual? I've only had two glasses of wine," _her train of thought paused as she looked down at her glass, _"Okay two and a half, but I'm not so far gone that I can't tell fantasy from reality! Something is different!" _Her mind began to wander as she watched Mac take a sip from his glass, tongue snaking out to catch a drip on the side of the glass. She swallowed hard and pulled her eyes away from his mouth, _"Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it," _she told herself, but the irrational part of her brain butted back in, _"Oh but wouldn't you love to be that wineglass right about now?" _Stella squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to rid her brain of all the forbidden thoughts and images running through it. She jumped when she felt Mac's hand on her knee, thumb rubbing delicate circles,

"You okay Stel?" he set his wineglass down, concerned that he'd done something to upset her. _"Way to go Mac," _he thought to himself, _"You finally get up the nerve to make a move and you blow it." _Stella opened her eyes without meeting his, gazing instead at the hand on her knee. Her heart skipped a beat at what she saw there, or rather at what she didn't see.

"Mac?" she breathed softly, allowing her eyes to meet his.

"It was time Stel. I'll always love Claire but I know she wouldn't want me wallowing in grief and self-pity for the rest of my life." He paused, "Stella?"

"Hmm?" a mixture of fear, awe and some other emotion Mac couldn't quite identify was in her eyes.

"Would it be terribly inappropriate if I kissed you?" This was not a side of Mac Taylor that she had seen before. He seemed almost bashful, refusing to meet her eyes as he waited for her response. Stella felt as though she had lost all power over her vocal cords as an internal battle waged inside her brain, _"Do I kiss him? It would change everything forever. But no one ever said change was always bad." _Stella made her decision, she wanted Mac to kiss her more than anything at that moment

"No, it wouldn't" she whispered softly as he finally met her eyes, realizing that the unidentifiable emotion was love. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation, revelling in the feel of Mac's hands on her shoulders, winding into her hair as he pulled her close before leaning in to kiss her. Stella couldn't control the moan that escaped when his lips first met hers and she felt his smile as he kissed her. His hands left her hair and travelled slowly, one resting on the back of her neck while the other continued down her spine. His fingers reached the hem of her dress and he pulled back, waiting for confirmation that what he was doing was okay with her. Stella slid her hands from his shoulders to the back of his neck and pulled him back to her. That was all the answer he needed as his hand slid slowly up her bare thigh beneath her dress and coming to rest on her ass.

"_Holy shit! Not only is Mac Taylor kissing me senseless he's got his hand on my ass!" _Stella was having a hard time believing that what was happening was really real. She shifted her body so she was more in his lap and thought nothing of the discomfort of sitting on Mac's gun. _"Oh God! So not his gun!And so very, very real!" _her brain screamed at her. Mac sensed her discomfort and pulled away, causing her to whimper slightly.

"Stella, I'm pushing you, I'm sorry. Maybe I should go," Mac started to move out from beneath her and was caught by surprise when she pulled him back for another deep passionate kiss. Her hips began to rock unconsciously as the kiss continued, and she moaned again when his hand, still up her skirt, moved around the hemline of her thong. She felt his fingers slip under the waistband and before she knew it he had slipped them down her legs and abandoned them on the floor. Her hips bucked of their own accord when she felt his hand find its way back under her dress. "Are you sure about this Stella? We can stop if you want," he pulled back to look in her eyes. Her breathing was rapid and heavy, she'd never felt so aroused in her life,

"Don't wanna stop," she panted, gasping as his fingers brushed up her inner thighs before he slipped the dress over her head. "Mac?" she gasped, "bedroom?" He nodded and scooped her up in his arms before she could protest. He laid her gently down in the middle of the bed before dropping his suit jacket to the floor. He laid down on the bed beside her, eyes never leaving hers as he gently ran his fingertips over her body, unclasping her bra and tossing it out of the bed. Mac propped himself up on one elbow so he could look at her, fingers still running up and down her stomach. Stella blushed under his scrutiny and reached up to undo the buttons on his shirt. When she finished she ran her hands up his bare chest before pushing the shirt off of him, dropping it into a heap on the floor. Her hands trembled noticeably as she reached for his belt, slowly undoing it and his pants. Mac stood and quickly divested himself of his pants before laying back down beside Stella, only a thin layer of cloth separating their bodies. Stella bit her lip and hooked her thumbs under the waistband, sliding them down before tossing them off of the bed. She paused for a moment, wondering if he wanted what a most of the guys she'd slept with (not that there had been an inordinate number)wanted during sex, a blowjob. She hated giving them, and couldn't understand how anybody would like to receive one. Mac sensed her despair and cupped her cheek,

"You are far to special for that Stella," he smiled at her as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. His hands made their way down her body, finally reaching where she wanted him the most.

"Oh God Mac!" she cried out, her muscles clenching reflexively. She could feel her arousal coiling deep within her core, Mac's fingers skilfully building it until she was ready. He brushed against her slightly but stopped,

"Umm Stel? Birth control?" he asked. He didn't want any surprises that neither of them was ready for.

"I'm...on the...pill...I trust you," her words were halted but she got her point across. She cried out as he entered her, back arching into his body. Mac paused, giving her time to get used to him. Stella gratefully accepted a few moments to prepare before wrapping her legs around his hips. It was their first time together and the first time for either in quite a while but they didn't rush. Content to savour the other's touch as they moved towards their release. Stella's hands raked over his back, leaving red marks in their wake. He nipped her shoulder and neck lightly, marking her as his. They climaxed together, calling out each others names into the still, dark night before collapsing into a deep, satiated sleep.

* * *

Aiden's jaw dropped, followed by Danny's hand from the door, both quite happy that Aiden had insisted he wait while she took off her shoes and carried them up. Her feet had been killing her and for once she was thankful for it, it had wasted enough time that they hadn't interrupted anything. Danny turned to face her, "Well I guess we know why Stella wasn't answering her cell phone," he whispered, placing a finger under Aiden's chin and closing her mouth. "Don't want my girlfriend catching flies now do I?" When Stella hadn't answered her phone Aiden had become worried, insisting she and Danny go and check on her once they finished dinner. "Satisfied she's okay now?" he asked, Aiden nodded, "Good because I'm in the mood for some dessert!" Aiden giggled girlishly as Danny's arms wrapped around her waist and he planted a soft, passionate kiss on her lips before leading her down the stairs and out into the cool New York night. 


End file.
